Serial changes of serum IgE, IgG, eosinophils were observed in 25 patients with acute myocaridial infarction and 20 ischemic heart disease without evidence of acute myocardial infarction and evaluated in terms of several parameters and its clinical significance. The results observed were as follows : 1) Serum IgE levels were propgressively elevated from the first hospital day(259+/-3IU/ml) up to peak level of the fifth hospital day(415+/-2IU/ml) and progressively lowered and returned to almost same level as the first hospital day on the twenty first hospital day. On the other hand control group showed significantly lower IgE levels throughout all hospital day and also did not showed serial change. 2) In the patient group with the initial serum IgE level above 200IU/m; showed significantly lower level of serum SGOT, CPK level than the group of below 200IU/ml group. This suggests the initial serum IgE level might have some correlation of the extent of myocardial necrosis. 3) In patients of acute myocardial infarction, ejection fraction was checked at discharge. Initial serum IgE level above 200IU/ml group showed significantly higher ejection fraction than below 200IU/ml group(59.4+/-13.5% vs 38.4+/-13.7%). 4) Serum IgE was checked concomittantly with serum IgE. It showed slightly decreasing tendency at third hospital day but not statistically significant. Eosinophil changed similar pattern as serum IgE but it was also not statistically significant. In conclusion, serial checking of serum IgE level in patient of acute myocardial infarction may give some help in prediction the clinical course and prognosis.
Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Eosinophils ; Hand ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins* ; Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Necrosis ; Prognosis

Amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta), generated by proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The key step in the generation of Abeta is cleavage of APP by beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1). Levels of BACE1 are increased in vulnerable regions of the AD brain, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. In the present study, we reported the effects of ferrous ions at subtoxic concentrations on the mRNA levels of BACE1 and a-disintegrin-and-metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) in PC12 cells and the cell responses to ferrous ions. The cell survival in PC12 cells significantly decreased with 0 to 0.3 mM FeCl2, with 0.6 mM FeCl2 treatment resulting in significant reductions by about 75%. 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining showed that the nuclei appeared fragmented in 0.2 and 0.3 mM FeCl2. APP-alpha-carboxyl terminal fragment (APP-alpha-CTF) associations with ADAM10 and APP-beta-CTF with BACE1 were increased. Levels of ADAM10 and BACE1 mRNA increased in response to the concentrations of 0.25 mM, respectively. In addition, p-ERK and p-Bad (S112, S155) expressions were increased, suggesting that APP-CTF formation is related to ADAM10/BACE1 expression. Levels of Bcl-2 protein were increased, but significant changes were not observed in the expression of Bax. These data suggest that ion-induced enhanced expression of AMDA10/BACE1 could be one of the causes for APP-alpha/beta-CTF activation.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amyloid ; Animals ; Brain ; Cell Survival ; Indoles ; Ions ; Iron ; PC12 Cells ; RNA, Messenger

In this study, we examined whether melatonin promotes apoptotic cell death via p53 in prostate LNCaP cells. Melatonin treatment significantly curtailed the growth of LNCaP cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Melatonin treatment (0 to 3 mM) induced the fragmentation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9. Moreover, melatonin markedly activated Bax expression and decreased Bcl-2 expression in dose increments. To investigate p53 and p21 expression, LNCaP cells were treated with 0 to 3 mM melatonin. Melatonin increased the expressions of p53, p21, and p27. Treatment with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors, PD98059 (ERK inhibitor), SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) and SB202190 (p38 inhibitor), confirmed that the melatonin-induced apoptosis was p21-dependent, but ERK-independent. With the co-treatment of PD98059 and melatonin, the expression of p-p53, p21, and MDM2 did not decrease. These effects were opposite to the expression of p-p53, p21, and MDM2 observed with SP600125 and SB202190 treatments. Together, these results suggest that p53-dependent induction of JNK/p38 MAPK directly participates in apoptosis induced by melatonin.
Anthracenes ; Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Caspase 8 ; Caspase 9 ; Cell Death ; Flavonoids ; Imidazoles ; Melatonin ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases ; Prostate ; Protein Kinases ; Pyridines

Nociplastic pain by the “International Association for the Study of Pain” is defined as pain that arises from altered nociception despite no clear evidence of nociceptive or neuropathic pain. Augmented central nervous system pain and sensory processing with altered pain modulation are suggested to be the mechanism of nociplastic pain. Clinical criteria for possible nociplastic pain affecting somatic structures include chronic regional pain and evoked pain hypersensitivity including allodynia with after-sensation. In addition to possible nociplastic pain, clinical criteria for probable nociplastic pain are pain hypersensitivity in the region of pain to non-noxious stimuli and presence of comorbidity such as generalized symptoms with sleep disturbance, fatigue, or cognitive problems with hypersensitivity of special senses. Criteria for definitive nociplastic pain is not determined yet. Eight specific disorders related to central sensitization are suggested to be restless leg syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular disorder, migraine or tension headache, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivities, and whiplash injury; non-specific emotional disorders related to central sensitization include anxiety or panic attack and depression. These central sensitization pain syndromes are overlapped to previous functional pain syndromes which are unlike organic pain syndromes and have emotional components. Therefore, nociplastic pain can be understood as chronic altered nociception related to central sensitization including both sensory components with nociceptive and/or neuropathic pain and emotional components. Nociplastic pain may be developed to explain unexplained chronic pain beyond tissue damage or pathology regardless of its origin from nociceptive, neuropathic, emotional, or mixed pain components.

One of the most common sources of spinal pain syndromes is the facet joints. Cervical, thoracic, and lumbar facet joint pain syndromes comprise 55%, 42%, and 31% of chronic spinal pain syndromes, respectively. Common facet joint disorders are degenerative disorders, such as osteoarthritis, hypertrophied superior articular process, and facet joint cysts; septic arthritis; systemic and metabolic disorders, such as ankylosing spondylitis or gout; and traumatic dislocations. The facet pain syndrome from osteoarthritis is suspected from a patient’s history (referred pain pattern) and physical examination (tenderness). Other facet joint disorders may cause radicular pain if mass effect from a facet joint cyst, hypertrophied superior articular process, or tumors compress the dorsal root ganglion.However, a high degree of morphological change does not always provoke pain. The superiority of innervating nerve block or direct joint injection for diagnosis and treatment is still a controversy. Treatment includes facet joint injection in facet joint osteoarthritis or whiplash injury provoking referred pain or decompression in mass effect in cases of hypertrophied superior articular process or facet joint cyst eliciting radicular pain. In addition, septic arthritis is treated using a proper antibiotic, based on infected tissue or blood culture. This review describes the diagnosis and treatment of common facet joint disorders.

To estimate the incidence of uterine cervix cancer among Korean women, we have conducted a study using the claim data on the beneficiaries of Korea Medical Insurance Corporation(KMIC). All medical records of the potential cases with diagnosis of ICD-9 180, 181, 182, 199, 219, 233 in the claims sent by medical care institutions in the whole country to the KMIC from January 1988 to December 1989, were abstracted and Gynecology specialist reviewed the records to identify the new cases of uterine cervix cancer among the potential cases during the corresponding period. Using these data, the incidence of uterine cervix cancer among Korean women was estimated as of July 1, 1988 to June 30, 1989. The crude rate was estimated to be 17.34(95% CI: 16.76~17.92) per 100,000 and the cumulative rates for the ages 0~64 and 0~74 were 1.7% and 2.2%, respectively. The age-adjusted rate for the world population was 19.93 per 100,000 which was higher than those of other Asian countries including China and Japan in 1983~1987. The truncated rate for ages 35~64 was 52.05 per 100,000 which was one of the highest in the world. With increasing age, the incidence rate increased to 78.11 per 100,000 in women aged 55~59 years, then it decreased in the older groups. This finding suggests that detecting rate of uterine cervix cancer may decrease in women aged 60 years or older due to detecting rate of uterine cervix cancer may decrease in women aged 60 years or older due to inadequate medical care seeking behavior. In the geographical area, the SIR of Jeju province was significantly low but it might be due to statistical unstability by small case numbers.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cervix Uteri* ; China ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Insurance ; International Classification of Diseases ; Japan ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Specialization

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the effects of cyclooxgenase-2 inhibitors on patients with nocturia, whose symptoms persisted after the use of first-line drug therapy, such as alpha blockers and/or anticholinergics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients whose symptoms persisted after more than three months of first-line drug therapy were chosen to receive additional COX-2 inhibitors or antidiuretic hormones orally. Seven patients (group 1) were given 80mg of zaltoprofen at night, while 15 (group 2) were given 100mg of nimesulide at night. Desmopressin acetate (0.2mg) was administered at night to 11 patients (group 3) as a control group. Median follow up was 35 days (range, 28~90 days). RESULTS: In 25 patients (75.8%), the severity of nocturia was reduced. The median decline of nocturia in the COX-2 inhibitor groups (groups 1 and 2) was once, and it was statistically significant (p<0.001), while the median decline in each of these groups was twice (p=0.026) and once (p=0.002), respectively. The reduction of nocturia in the control group was once (p=0.011). The differences in reduction between the COX-2 inhibitor group and the control group were not statistically significant (p=0.418). CONCLUSIONS: The effects of the COX-2 inhibitors were not significantly different from those of desmopressin. Combination therapy with COX-2 inhibitors can effectively reduce nocturia in patients with refractory nocturia, following first-line drug therapy.
Cholinergic Antagonists ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Nocturia* ; Vasopressins

No abstract available.
Actinobacillus* ; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans* ; Apoptosis* ; Humans ; Jurkat Cells*

An open trial was carried out to investigate the efficacy and tolerance of isosorbide 5-mononitrate(Elantan(R)) in 30 patients diagnosed as angina pectoris at Pusan national university hospital. Drugs were given 20mg two times daily for 2 to 3 weeks and the results were assessed in terms of effects on anginal pain and untoward side effects experienced during administration of medication. Treament resulted in an overall improvement in 25 patients(83.4%), complete abolition of anginal attacks in 17 patients(56.7%) and reduction in frequency of attacks in 8 patients(26.7%). So called "Nitrated headache" was observed in 5 patients(16.6%) but improved with proceeding of administration in 3 patients. This trial indicates that isosorbide 5-mononitrate should be efficacious as well as tolerated in patients with coronary heart disease.
Angina Pectoris* ; Busan ; Coronary Disease ; Humans ; Isosorbide*

PURPOSE: Roux-en-Y reconstruction (RY) in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer is a more complicated procedure than Billroth-I (BI) or Billroth-II. Here, we offer a totally laparoscopic simple RY using linear staplers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each 50 consecutive patients with totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with RY and BI were enrolled in this study. Technical safety and surgical outcomes of RY were evaluated in comparison with BI. RESULTS: In all patients, RY gastrectomy using linear staplers was safely performed without any events during surgery. The mean operation time and anastomosis time were 177.0+/-37.6 min and 14.4+/-5.6 min for RY, respectively, which were significantly longer than those for BI (150.4+/-34.0 min and 5.9+/-2.2 min, respectively). There were no differences in amount of blood loss, time to flatus passage, diet start, length of hospital stay, and postoperative inflammatory response between the two groups. Although there was no significant difference in surgical complications between RY and BI (6.0% and 14.0%), the RY group showed no anastomosis site-related complications. CONCLUSION: The double stapling method using linear staplers in totally laparoscopic RY reconstruction is a simple and safe procedure.
Aged ; Female ; Gastrectomy/*methods ; Gastric Bypass/*methods ; Humans ; Laparoscopy/*methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Neoplasms/surgery